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Trend analysis of sustainability claims in meat and dairy product launches (2004–2023): a case study of the UK, the USA, and China

International Journal of Food Science & Technology 2025 1 citation ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 43 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Scott C. Hutchings, C.E. Realini, Alasdair Noble, Dimetre Triadis, Richard T. Jones, James Turner

Summary

Despite its title referencing sustainability and meat and dairy products, this paper studies trends in sustainability marketing claims on food product labels across the UK, USA, and China from 2004 to 2023 — not microplastic pollution. It examines which types of "green" claims have grown fastest in food product launches, and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

Abstract The sustainability of pastoral farming must rapidly improve to protect land, water, and climate. However, producers of meat and dairy products also need economically viable pathways for this transition. One approach is accessing markets that prioritise sustainability attributes. This study investigated trends in new meat and dairy products launched with sustainability claims in the USA, China, and the UK from 2004 to 2023. Using data from the Mintel Global New Product Database and trend regression analysis, the number, share, and location quotient (LQ) of such product launches were determined. Results showed significant growth in sustainability claims across all markets, with the UK experiencing faster growth for meat products, while the USA and China showed faster growth for dairy products. In both categories, the strongest growth was observed for claims related to Environmentally Friendly Packaging and Recyclable materials. For dairy products, Sustainable (Habitat/Resources) claims followed, while meat products showed growth in Animal Welfare claims. Differences across markets suggest producers should adopt a targeted, market-specific approach to capitalise on trends in sustainability-focused meat and dairy products.

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